Team News: Week of March 3-7

This week:  We got right back into the swing of things this week!  In literacy we read a story called “My Brother’s Flying Machine.”  It was about the Wright brothers and it was written from the perspective of their sister.  In math we began adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators.  We also learned how to turn a mixed number into an improper fraction.  In science we learned how living things in the plant kingdom are classified and how living things in the animal kingdom are classified.  We also continued to learn about the Iditarod and kept track of our mushers daily to see how they were progressing in the race.  With the end of term 2 quickly approaching I spent a lot of time doing DRAs with students.

Next Week:  In literacy we start Unit 5, Habitats, and will be reading nonfiction piece called “A Walk in the Desert.”  In math we will learn how to add and subtract mixed numbers.  We will also learn how to turn an improper fraction into a mixed number.  In science we will learn a little about the life cycle and will begin learning about adaptations.  We will continue to track our mushers.  We should know the winner of the Iditarod sometime between Tuesday and Thursday; however it can take up to a week after that for the last person to cross the finish line.  Grades close on the 14^th so we will be doing some end of term 2 assessments.

Tackling Everest!

As some of you may know a high school friend of mine, Jake St. Pierre, will be headed to Nepal in March with a small team of scientific researchers to climb Mt. Everest and nearby peak Lhotse.  Please check out this article about Jake in the Concord Monitor...

http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/10846257-95/bow-police-officer-seeks-help-to-tackle-everest

Team News: Week of February 17-21

This Week:  We continued learning about the winter Olympics through a variety of activities.  We also began learning about the Iditarod which is starting on March 1^st.  Each student chose a musher to follow throughout the race.  We did a little research on our mushers to create a pennant that shows our support.  We also used “The Last Great Race” as a resource to answer some of the questions we had about the Iditarod.  In math we used this week to review some of the skills previously learned.  In science we began learning about how to classify living things and plant and animal cells.  We also had a special guest, Jake St. Pierre, come talk to the 4^th graders about mountain climbing.  He talked mostly about his experiences climbing Everest and other peaks over in Nepal.    We also did a STEM activity and built a ski jump.  We finally had our Valentine’s Day party on Friday!

Next Week:  In Literacy we will read a story called “My Brother’s Flying Machine.”  We will also continue learning about the Iditarod and do some fun activities around it.  Students will have to track their musher’s progress daily.  In math we will learn about adding and subtracting fractions.  I think everyone will do well with it.  We will continue on with science as well.

Olympics-Ski Jump Building STEM Activity Part 2

The kids did it!  It took a lot of thinking, manipulating materials, testing, and even a little bickering but they all did it!  Every group was able to work together to construct a working ski jump!!  It was fantastic to see the similarities in the ski jumps yet each one was different in its own way.  Many of the groups faced frustration during the building process but in true Olympic spirit they faced their struggles together and created a finished product that was amazing! 

Check out some pictures...

Olympics - Ski Jump Building STEM Activity

STEM Activities are hands-on, problems solving challenges that provide students opportunities to demonstrate the real-world application of science, technology, engineering and math.

In honor of the Olympics I am providing my students with a STEM opportunity to build a ski jump that will launch a marble (skier) the farthest.  

Today we read a little bit about the science behind ski jumping.  We learned about drag, gravity, lift, and speed.  Students learned that ski jumpers want to minimize drag and gravity and maximize lift speed.  They found it very interesting that ski jumpers can control these forces by their body position.

After reading about the science of ski jumping students got into groups of three to begin thinking about the design of their ski jumps.  They were given the materials that they were allowed to use and began thinking of designs that would launch their marble the farthest.  They DO NOT have to use ALL the materials given to them but they CAN'T use anything else.  It was fun to watch them explore with the materials and it was interesting to get a sneak peak at some of their designs.  Tomorrow we will build and test our ski jumps!

Take a peak at the exploration:

Climbing Mount Everest

     What is it like to climb the tallest mountain in the world?  The 4th graders have been finding out during library with Mrs. Coulter for the last few weeks!  Today they learned a little more about what it's like to mountain climb when Jake St. Pierre, an experienced mountain climber came in to talk about some of his adventures.  Students saw a power point presentation that included pictures of Mt. Everest and other peaks in Nepal.  They also saw pictures of familiar mountains like Kearsarge and Washington. The 4th grade students and teachers got a laugh when Jake made me put all his mountain climbing gear on (it was a great look for me...lol)!

     On March 21st Jake will be leaving for Nepal again, this time for 65 days.  He will be part of an 8 person scientific research team.  They will be climbing Lohste and Mt. Everest.  We will be lucky enough to follow this adventure!  We all wish him the best of luck!

     Check out some pictures from the presentation...

Team News: Week of February 3-7

This week:  In Literacy we read “The Life and Times of the Ant.”  We learned how ants interact socially, how they communicate, and that depending on their ages they have different jobs.  In Math, we continued working with equivalent fractions and began comparing fractions with like denominators.  We also talked a little about comparing fractions with unlike denominators.  In Science, we learned about different tools that scientists use to measure.  We also learned about the scientific method.  

Next Week:  In Literacy, we will read “Ima and the Great Texas Ostrich Race.”  We will focus on the comprehension skill of using text clues to draw conclusions.  In Math, we will review unit 3 and take our test.  We will also take our pretest for Unit 4 (adding and subtracting fractions).  In Science, we will begin learning about classifying living things.  We will also do a variety of activities around the Winter Olympics.